S21.E08: Famous Dances

[Wings]

 

He didn't have a spare 2 hours to go watch the Grease video?

 

 

Oh I would bet the life of my first born that he most certainly did.  My son is almost 40 so he might be hard to catch but my thought counts. 

 

 

Carlos:

He seems to have a problem letting Witney be in charge.  But then he needs compliments from her to make him feel better?  I'm just over this guy.

 

 

Yep!

 

This was a fabulous show!  I enjoyed every minute.  Everyone did a good job.  My only complaint is that Alexa was grossly underscored.  

[majormama]

What was up with Mark tonight? He was so subdued during the judging and scores. I would blame it on the snake, but even during the elimination he seemed like his dog died or he was sick or something.

 

Speaking of the snake, I laughed hard when Paula snuck up and pet the snake. When Alexa realized, she started yelling, "Not the head! Not the head!" And someone grabbed her (Paula), who was like, "Why not the head? What's wrong with the head?" And someone says, "It'll bite you!" And she's like, "Whuuuut?" And three or four people spell it out, "It. Will. Bite. You. You know, like *rrrr*" complete with hand motions. Poor snake. 

[Wings]

Mandy Moore is a coordinator on DWTS the last few years, she does some of the opening number and troupe/pro groups. She's been one of the main choreographers on SYTYCD for like 10 years. She's a contemporary/jazz choreographer, not trained in ballroom so she doesn't do a good job on this show.

 

 

Ahh, yes.  I know Mandy Moore.  I did not connect that.  Thanks. 

[kitcloudkicker]

Okay, random thoughts ahead: 

 

Who has two thumbs and said it was too early to panic about Tamar? (Hint, it's meee) She's also seemed to have caught on to the fact that social media's part of the game too. Dubsmash seems to be a go-to, "get yourself likable and fast," move for Val. (But eh, I like them, so I'll give it too them.) 

 

I agree with the top scores this week. Andy's bought himself another week, and I'm all on the Bindi train this season. I liked the Dirty Dancing dance and smiled through it, and I didn't mind that Derek shook a bit in the lift, and I didn't have a problem with them giving it to 17 year old Bindi, but because of that, the thing that they were never going to get was how hot that scene is. (I mean, there's a reason it's Ryan Gosling's "move" in Crazy Stupid Love) Probably 9's for me, or 9's with a few 10's? 

 

I liked the opening dance, but had a hard time recognizing some of them without their music. I'm sure that would be a music clearance nightmare though. Who was the Flashdance dancer in the beginning? They had some extra dancers in there, was it a random dancer?

 

Potentially in trouble next week: Alexa, Hayes, Alek? Everyone left is at least decent, I hope they take advantage of that and kick up the team dances. Kind of hard to predict the voting though. It might just be Alexa. (I wanted to see Carlos go first, but I think his scores might protect him this week.) I see where she didn't attack enough, but 7s seemed really low for that dance. All 8s would have been fine. 

[Ivana Tinkle]

Mandy Moore is a coordinator on DWTS the last few years, she does some of the opening number and troupe/pro groups. She's been one of the main choreographers on SYTYCD for like 10 years. She's a contemporary/jazz choreographer, not trained in ballroom so she doesn't do a good job on this show.

I legitimately thought every time they mentioned Mandy Moore they were talking about the singer/actress and I always thought "Why is she choreographing so much instead of making movies?"  *crawls back under a rock*

 

Leah was off tonight.  I'm glad I didn't play the "amazing" drinking game.  I'd be wasted.

 

What the hell were the judges on?  A perfect score for Bindi's dance?  She's a sweetheart, but come on.  

 

Poor Alexa had to carry that snake around for the judges comments, Leah's interview, AND judges scores.  And I don't even know why I bother asking anymore, but what in the holy HELL was Mark's hair a tribute to???  Was there a floppy haired background dancer I missed in Britney's VMA performance? 

[Wings]

I just finished watching.  Tamar nailed it!  She was the warmest and happiest I have seen her.  

[Artymouse]

I do think Alek was a little in-his-head this week, but overall I liked the dance. He's still one of my favorites, but he does need to step it up a bit if he's going to last much longer. He looked more young-Elvis than I would've thought.

My teenage son (who claims to hate DWTS) came into the room during Alek's Elvis-on-the-street segment, and I made some comment about Alek being cool. And my son replied, "He's a straight-up baller, so of course he's cool." I didn't expect that response. Guess we need to get the 15-year-old boys to vote.

[vibeology]

  

I liked the opening dance, but had a hard time recognizing some of them without their music. I'm sure that would be a music clearance nightmare though. Who was the Flashdance dancer in the beginning?

Karina. She looked amazing.

If anyone can bear to go back and watch Paula again do it just to see Anna give face. Her face was so fierce and full of character for that dumb dance. She should be given ringers every year the way she performs and sells it.

I've never said this before and probably never will again, but Tamar's dance needed more people on stage. It was pretty awesome but if there had been more people with her killing it at the front it would have been epic.

I feel like the moment Carlos was uncomfortable with his assigned dance for religious reasons, the producers should have let him switch it up. I feel like Candace wouldn't have been given a striptease type of dance. Or any of the more conservative women who have been on the show over the years.

[katha]

What were Alexa's scores about? They surely weren't for her dancing. That was at least all 8s, compared to the rampant overscoring going on around them. Is she not getting votes at all and the producers just threw her under the bus? Is she doing okay vote-wise and they want to motivate voting some more and create a story arc for her? What is it, I really want to know? Because IMO tonight's scoring had nothing at all to do with her dancing and was purely agenda-driven, I just don't know what agenda it is. I don't get it. And agree, I know they do these packages for "fun", but what's bleeding through about Carlos seems disturbing anyway (or if they are scripting him to behave like that, they should stop, it's creepy as hell).

Edited October 20, 2015 by katha

[crowceilidh]

Carlos is such an ass.  I cannot stand him - and I'm not very impressed with his whiney submissive wife either.  What WAS the look on her face?

 

Tamar did not pull it off for me.

 

Overall a very boring night.

 

I thought Nick did a fantastic job - and I don't like Nick as a contestant at all and I love Travolta in that movie.  Nick looks awkward (I was going to say, "in that costume" but realized i could just stop at Nick looks awkward).

[kitcloudkicker]

I feel like the moment Carlos was uncomfortable with his assigned dance for religious reasons, the producers should have let him switch it up. I feel like Candace wouldn't have been given a striptease type of dance. Or any of the more conservative women who have been on the show over the years.

 

What if he was never that uncomfortable though? He's been teasing the striptease (ha) all week on his social media accounts. Ugh, I just don't trust this guy. Riker/Allison refused a song last season, if he really didn't want to do it, on religious reasons, I bet he could have gotten out of it. 

[birkenstock]

They should have either had everyone do a free-style/"jazz" or judge them on how well they adapted their song to a ballroom dance. It seemed unbalanced and the judges had no consistency - nothing new, but really apparent tonight. 

 

I felt bad for Alexa. She put a lot of effort into her dance and was a trooper with the snake.  I think she channeled Britney or at least did the moves well.  She seemed confident and looked so deflated during the judging and finding out the scores. At this point, Mark just seems defeated. I almost wrote her off when Mark said in their package last week that she didn't care about messing up their fox trot. I hope that Mark can build her confidence back up so she can perform well next week.   

 

I don't understand Bindi's scores.  There were places she looked awkward and just seemed like a carbon copy of the dance.  When she was moving side to side, like in the movie, she moved her hands and facial expression were just off. I normally like Bindi, but do not like the over scoring and just didn't think it was good.  

 

Carlos' Magic Mike dance reminded me a lot of last season's dance by the male pros. Always good to see Artem though. 

 

Andy's dance made me smile.  

[Saylii]

What if he was never that uncomfortable though? He's been teasing the striptease (ha) all week on his social media accounts. Ugh, I just don't trust this guy. Riker/Allison refused a song last season, if he really didn't want to do it, on religious reasons, I bet he could have gotten out of it. 

I totally don't think he was uncomfortable with the idea of a striptease.  I think that dance and that role suited him quite perfectly.  What he wasn't okay with was the fact that he'd played up his born-again Christian roots earlier in the season so it would seem like he was sliding back on a personal level if one week he was all, "I heart God," and a few weeks later he was like, "I heart male strippers."  It also played into his dominant male ego that Witney had to tongue bath his striptease performance all week to get him to do it better.  

 

I did find it surprising that Alexa didn't take offense to her Britney song.  She's very devout and has been since childhood.  But I guess she can better separate performance from her beliefs.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Saylii

[anonymiss]

I was a little scared that Derek was going to drop her, though. I don't think I've ever seen him shake like that, and I don't think it's because Bindi is heavy.

I'm sure he was, too, as he looked like someone at the end of American Ninja Warriors when they're hanging on for dear life! "Heavy" is relative, of course, so for Derek's strength and size, she's not light. (She also has strong, broad shoulders/frame and would probably be a base in a cheerleading pyramid.) As for the NotRumba, it was a placid, generic, general tribute. Bindi looked confused mid-dance when the troupe joined in just before their grand lift. Her dancing is lackluster and sf predictable. I'd never notice her without Derek so her scores are made of manure.

 

I like Leah Remini cohosting. She's awkward in that unstaged, unpredictable, authentic way. (And I'll never forget how she called Derek's priviledge out to his face!) 

 

I laughed as Alexa's whole expression changed to contained terror when she handled the snake. She did well and I forgot how fun that song is to dance to! Mark's hair in that...It's like he's an actor trying to be taken seriously and showing he can "play ugly."

 

Seeing Paula Deen shoving men's faces into her bosom and having Louis come out from her petticoat was hammy fun. At least she went out on that note.

 

I appreciated Carlos' striptease! So wonderful to see mainstreamed entertainment for the female gaze, tyvm. 

 

Agree that Nick didn't embody the charisma of the dance at all, but I was proud of his efforts and he did better than I expected. You could see he pushed himself to his limits.

 

Alek's package with the Elvis impression was very charming and enjoyable. But his dance wasn't. His hand movements are too weak, but his foot movement is impressive for a total non-dancer.

 

Val doing the staccato, hypermasculine, militaristic moves of "Rhythm Nation" made him sexier than ever. (Although, I seem to think that every few dances.) He's always great, of course, but he was extra great here, and I loved when the tongue came out! He was thoroughly enjoying himself--this choreo clearly meant a lot to him. And I liked how Tamar couldn't help but mouth along the words. She did an exceptional job considering reduced rehearsal time from illness. People who normally dance this intricate routine take a helleva lot longer to rehearse it!

Edited October 20, 2015 by anonymiss

[superdeluxe]

I knew Tamar was getting a perfect score as soon as I saw that she had Rhythm Nation.  That's why I was chuckling at the panic over the weekend.

 

Maybe because Singin' in the Rain is one of my favorite movies of all time, but I really wasn't impressed by Andy and Allison.  Imagine my surprise when I saw it got a perfect score.  That was overscored.

 

Carlos --- I laughed throughout his entire dance.  I know he was doing Magic Mike and I've never seen that movie because stuff like that makes me laugh.

 

I don't know what Carrie Ann was on, but Nick was great.  He deserved a perfect score.  He did the Russian moves.  I've never seen that pulled off except for in a cartoon.

 

Maybe because I didn't watch her segments or paid that much attention to her, but Leah Remini didn't annoy me like I figured she would.  I forgot she was even there until I saw her with Bindi and Derek.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

ONJ! ONJ! ONJ!

 

I was so hoping they would copy her totally magnificent dance with Gene Kelly in "Xanadu" to Whenever You're Away From Me.  Alas, they did not.  Link is below.  

 

From the fantastic opening (yet another tremendous open this season) to the absolute commitment to honoring the original dances, this was as good as this show can get.  I think the best moment of the open was the homage to "One" in A Chorus Line.  I sensed that the pros were especially feeling it - feeling blessed - as they re-created a piece of it.  Congratulations to all whom I regularly disparage in here.  When y'all get it right, y'all really get it right!  My heart was light.  Thank you.

 

Random thoughts:

 

- Bindi was far too stiff on too many moves.   Just as a teen with little dance experience would be expected to be.  No way that was a 10.

 

- Andy won the night for me.  Degree of difficulty was highest for him.  The  choreo was magnificent, as was the staging (again, kudos to production).  First legit 40 this season imo.

 

- Leah's smoke voice was entirely grating and she added very, very little.  I think she is back next week, too.

 

- I've never respected CAI less than when she docked Nick for not being in full expression.  She graded him as a freaking pro!  What he accomplished as a "Star" was easily in the top 5% of anything ever done.  That was a TEN all day long.  I am not a Nick fan, but he was excellent in a wickedly difficult and physical choreo.  CAI can go any ol' time AFAIAC.

 

- As always, when the music sticks to essentially original arrangements, everything is better.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vsfpw3qKKc

Edited October 20, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[katha]

And for the sake of trying to be objective or something I will add: IMO the dance was good considering the theme they got, the cha-cha was decently integrated into the rest and they were severely underscored. But Mark's hair and outfit were terrible, an absolute nightmare and he should feel terrible about that part, I don't care how obsessed he is with jungle dances and animal themes or whatever...there's never any excuse to come out dressed like that LOL.

[luvthepros]

Andy/Allison: Ok, easily his best dance, no questions asked, but honestly a few times of the side by side it felt a hair off from Allison who basically goes balls to the wall in Jazz/Contemporary.

Speaking of "balls to the wall"....I was actually shocked to hear Witney's instructions Carlos to go "balls to the wall or balls to the floor". Good on Witney. You go girl!

[PTVjones]

Overall was highly impressed w/ the show and thought the right person went home considering where the competition is at this point. 

 

One though, I highly doubt that Janet Jackson, or even Tamar Braxton, believes that Rhythm Nation was created for one day Tamar to perform lol. I get the compliment but what a hyperbolic thing to say. 

[Andie1]

Regardless if the show gave Tamar something she could crush, she won't win . Last weeks score took her from first to fourth in the overall standings, and it's either Team Nick orTeam Bindi - a team captain is always the overall winner..

I only watch Tamar on YouTube now, the rest of the show is meh

[ChrisMcGraan]

I ended up liking last night's episode a lot more than I thought I would.

 

Really loved Andy's dance -- Jazz/Contemp are why Allison is on this show. She struggles with the ballroom obviously but she's incredible when in her speciality. Might buy him another week or so. Bindi was another top performance for me tonight. Loved her rehearsal package with Derek. You can just see how at ease he is this season and how much fun he's having.

 

This was probably my favorite Nick routine of the season so not sure what CAI is talking about! I thought he did great and really pulled off the Travolta-esque dance moves.

 

I'm the odd man out though as I really didn't think Tamar's performance was anything mindblowing. She did well with it and I don't really disagree with the score when you consider the other perfect scores for the night, but it was just "eh" for me. I don't feel the need to rewatch it for example.

[boyznkatz]

The highlight of the night was the sweet snake. Poor Alexa. I guess it's pick on her week. In whose universe is Hayes better than her? Now that Paula is gone, Hayes or Alek need to go next. They can't dance. 

[Rancide]

I'm going to guess it wasn't the amount that Bindi weighs that caused problems with the lift.  Bindi isn't built like a waif, but I also don't even think she's 5 feet tall.  She just can't weigh that much as an absolute matter.  Probably poor initial hand positioning or lack of sufficient abdominal support by Bindi.  That particular lift requires an extraordinary amount of balance, and if the person being lifted has any sort of unequal weight distribution, the lifter is going to struggle a lot to try to keep it centered because he's going to have to use brute strength to overcome the fact that the object being lifted is off-balance.

 

Imagine lifting a half-empty barrel of water or sack of flour over your head and then trying to keep it balanced as the water/flour rolls from end to end.  Takes a lot more strength than lifting, say, a barbell of equal weight.

 

That lift clearly did not go as planned, but honestly, props to Derek for keeping it together.  I'd have bailed long before my arms started to shake like that.  That didn't look like it could be good for his back.  

[Lovecat]

I'm going to guess it wasn't the amount that Bindi weighs that caused problems with the lift.  Bindi isn't built like a waif, but I also don't even think she's 5 feet tall.  She just can't weigh that much as an absolute matter.  Probably poor initial hand positioning or lack of sufficient abdominal support by Bindi.  That particular lift requires an extraordinary amount of balance, and if the person being lifted has any sort of unequal weight distribution, the lifter is going to struggle a lot to try to keep it centered because he's going to have to use brute strength to overcome the fact that the object being lifted is off-balance.

 

Imagine lifting a half-empty barrel of water or sack of flour over your head and then trying to keep it balanced as the water/flour rolls from end to end.  Takes a lot more strength than lifting, say, a barbell of equal weight.

 

That lift clearly did not go as planned, but honestly, props to Derek for keeping it together.  I'd have bailed long before my arms started to shake like that.  That didn't look like it could be good for his back.  

I think it was a combination of hand placement (her hips may have been a smidge too forward on his hands, putting slightly more weight towards her top half) and ab strength on Bindi's part.  There wasn't much arch in her back, she wasn't pulled up into the lift, and her head and arms were down.  They were really fighting, and I thought she was going to go down.  I'm glad she didn't, but yeah, it was really unusual to see Derek struggle with anything.

[boyznkatz]

Bindi is tiny. I don't think she's heavy at all. I've never seen a lift that lasted that long on dwts. I think anyone's arms would shake!

[Wings]

I just re watched a couple of things I missed.  Paula just had to touch the snake to show she is not afraid of them.  Oy

 

Interesting that they have people reading feedback as the show is in progress.  Leah was awkward and I liked they brought up her over use of amazing.  It relaxed the situation and made her stop.  I like her and with practice she would do a good job. 

 

Bindi is tiny. I don't think she's heavy at all. I've never seen a lift that lasted that long on dwts. I think anyone's arms would shake!

 

She is short but not tiny.  She is in a normal weight range but dancers are not.  They are very lean and taller.  Both those aspects contribute to being easy to lift.  

 

And I agree Rancide, the dancer being lifted can assist using their own well toned body to balance themselves as the lifter works to balance on his end.

 

Whoever did Leah's make up should be punished. 

Edited October 20, 2015 by wings707

[mtlchick]

 

Daisy, the snake did very well.  She is a show bizz snake and been in the spot light her entire life.  She is in her comfort zone.  We saw how relaxed she was all cuddled with with Alexa during the judging and interview.  She is a pro.  I have seen her before.

 I did have to chuckle where despite the lights and the noise, Daisy looked like she was ready to take a nap during judging.  That said, I remembered Britney did some dance steps and spun around with the snake in hand.  Alexa simply...walked out with her.

[OakGoblinFly]

I usually do not find Allison’s choreography appealing; however, I thought her choreography for the jazz to “Good Morning” was wonderful.  It really captured the mood of Singing in the Rain while putting her own little twist on it.  I liked, that for once, Allison didn’t appear frantic and out-of-control in her movements.  Andy was pretty darn good in it too.  And as a side note, Allison really needs to wear blue more often; the color is extremely flattering on her.  I also like her with the added baby weight; her facial features soften a bit with the extra weight; she wears it well.

 

I generally dislike Sharna’s choreography; it always feels a little too vampy for me.  However, I loved what she came up with her disco and samba infused “You Should Be Dancing.”  I thought it was clever, creative, and clearly she and Nick were having a blast performing it.  I know I really enjoyed watching it.  Sharna was rocking the disco wig and Nick was certainly channeling his inner Tony Manero.

 

I thought the little skit with Derek and Bindi in the pond was all kinds of adorable.  I am really loving this partnership; I like the strong sibling vibe I get from them and I like how Bindi is willing to try anything and Derek seems very protective of her.  I thought this dance was fantastic – it tied with Tamar as favorite of the night for me.  I loved how Derek was able to keep elements of the original dance while adding a few new movements.  Bindi performed and danced it extremely well; she has wonderful musicality and I have been impressed with how well she uses her legs and back.  The smile when she and Derek performed the lift was terrific; you could tell she was really proud of what she did (and she should be).

 

Finally, finally Tamar seemed to break out of whatever cage she put herself in.  I think being assigned jazz and “Rhythm Nation” was perfect for her – she needed the lift after last week’s disappointing showing (not to mention dealing with her illness – poor thing, my throat hurt just listening to her).  Tamar performed the movements well (then again, performing the movements was never an issue for her) AND her face finally caught up to the rest of her body.  I thought her facial expressions were perfect for the routine – I also think it helped that she sang along with the song.  Hopefully she can perform this well when she’s in hold (that seems to be a major issue for her).

 

Alexa, Alexa, Alexa.  While I will give you props for holding/dancing with the snake and looking great in that Britney Spears inspired outfit you lose all points for your comments regarding the partner switch.  You said you liked working with Derek because he was ‘positive and fun” – um, sweetie, you’re partnered with Mark, who can be intense at times (just like Derek) but is known for being caring and nurturing.  This girl has the potential to do well, she just needs to stop speaking.  That being said, I’m not sure what the judges wanted from her during the performance; sure the judges stated they wanted her to be “sexy and grounded” like Britney was during the performance.  However, Alexa wasn’t recreating a stage performance, she had to include Cha Cha Cha elements in the routine. 

 

I wasn’t as impressed with Carlos’ routine as the judges were.  Alex was barely there (I think he’s peaked).  Hayes gets points for his enthusiasm and willingness to try anything.  I do wish that Emma worked on his posture.  Then again, he is a gangly 15-year old boy, so he might always look a bit slouchy and awkward.

 

Bye Paula, I won’t miss you a bit.

Edited October 20, 2015 by OakGoblinFly

[MMLEsq]

I generally enjoyed last night's show, although my thoughts below are pretty much about everything except the dancing.  (Let me preface this by saying that I love both Olivia Newton-John and Leah Remini, but....)

Still, the perfect scores all over the place were not really called for..and Olivia Newtown John added nothing to the proceedings...

At one point, fairly late in the show, I was beginning to think that the sub-theme for the night was "Julianne gets two votes" because Olivia voted identically to Julianne for every dance except either the last one or the second-to-last one.  Olivia seems so sweet, but it was really hard to figure out why in the world she was there.  

 

I thought Olivia Newfon-John was like a ray of sunshine. Could she please replace Carrie Ann? I realize ONJ didn't give much criticism, but everything she said actually made sense, unlike CAI.

Olivia does seem nice, but she barely said anything substantive, so it's hard to say whether she was making sense or not.  

 

Please hire Lea for next season.  Can I hope her  being the replacement is a hint that she may be under consideration?  She looks better with some bangs and her make up was terrible, not her fault.  

I like Leah, but last night wasn't her best night.  She's filled in for Erin at least once or twice before, so it seems like she's the #1 back--up.  I wouldn't take it as a sign that they're getting rid of Erin, however.  

 

Interesting that they have people reading feedback as the show is in progress.  Leah was awkward and I liked they brought up her over use of amazing.  It relaxed the situation and made her stop.  I like her and with practice she would do a good job. 

I picked up on the overuse of "amazing" while it was going on (i.e., in the commentary after the first dance).  It was fun that she acknowledged it and made light out of it.  One thing I like about both Leah and Erin is that neither seems to take herself too seriously.

[spanana]

I didn't watch some of the packages so I know I missed things last night, but I can't criticize any of the pros for not sticking to the assigned dance.  My understanding from what the pros have said is that they didn't have a whole lot of leeway with the choreography this week.  For instance while Bindi may have had rumba, a dance that usually doesn't allow lifts, there was no way TPTB were going to allow her to do Dirty Dancing without the famous lift.  It just wasn't going to happen.  So while it might not have been executed well, I think Derek was required to do it as part of her rumba.  Also the fact that the judges didn't call anyone out for lack of content tells me that TPTB probably told them to lay off that critique.  Really TPTB should have just given everyone jazz and called it a day.

 

My favorite routine of the night was shockingly Andy.  Ordinarily I would have thought he was next on the chopping block, but he really picked up his game the last two weeks.  That style of movement really suited him.

 

I thought most did well enough.  I didn't see Carlos package, but he did as well as can be expected with Pony.  Bindi was cute but I understand the critiques of it not being a 40 dance.  The lift wasn't great, but Bindi is a little top heavy (not a critique but she is) and I don't think she was in the right position.  Tamar did pretty well and I don't begrudge her score, but I didn't think she was amazing either.  She was in sync with everyone and hit the right moves but I wouldn't say she was sharp.  It almost looked like she was peering out of the corner of her eyes to see what everyone else was doing.  But other than that the dance suited her.

 

I also echo the sentiments about Alexa.  I felt bad for her last night.  I'm not sure what the judges deal is with her, but her dance didn't deserve 7's.  Plus she was game as hell with the snake.

 

I really have no idea who is going home next week.  Alexa is in trouble unless people felt sympathy for her.  Alek is fading.  Hayes is there. 

Edited October 20, 2015 by spanana

[OakGoblinFly]

I call BS on tens for that!  His arms and head were shaking like he could barely hold her up.  And that was supposed to be a rhumba??  

 

They just really are pushing this girl.

 

To be fair, other than those dances labeled "jazz" there was a great deal of latitude given to the pairs.  Given the theme of the show, I am okay with the dance being “light” in the assigned style as long as they captured the essence of the assigned style.

 

 

Carlos was basically performing a male strip tease with a little bit of Rhumba thrown in; I didn’t mind the fact that Bindi’s dance wasn’t a full out Rhumba – for the theme and the constraints of what the pro were given – it worked for me.

[boyznkatz]

I really have no idea who is going home next week.  Alexa is in trouble unless people felt sympathy for her.  Alek is fading.  Hayes is there. 

 

Alexa is way better than Alek or Hayes. The judges overscored them and underscored her. If she goes home next week, it's due to the judge's stupidity. I'm glad for Andy. He has really shown a lot of improvement since the start of the show.

[katha]

Alexa, Alexa, Alexa.  While I will give you props for holding/dancing with the snake and looking great in that Britney Spears inspired outfit you lose all points for your comments regarding the partner switch.  You said you liked working with Derek because he was ‘positive and fun” – um, sweetie, you’re partnered with Mark, who can be intense at times (just like Derek) but is known for being caring and nurturing.  This girl has the potential to do well, she just needs to stop speaking.  That being said, I’m not sure what the judges wanted from her during the performance; sure the judges stated they wanted her to be “sexy and grounded” like Britney was during the performance.  However, Alexa wasn’t recreating a stage performance, she had to include Cha Cha Cha elements in the routine. 

Perhaps it's because at this point I feel so bad for her that it's clouding my judgement, but I'm willing to cut her slack on all the awkward packages now: I think she's just nervous and insecure and easy to manipulate into saying whatever makes for the most drama. The producers have caught on to that fact and are exploiting it hardcore. Scripted or not, I also felt bad about that bit with Carlos. It just seems like she's being pulled in all kinds of directions and wants to please everybody all the time and of course the show has a field day making her suffer for ratings because it's easy to get a reaction out of her. It was tough to see how she went to that judges table pretty pleased with herself (rightly so, she did well) only to have the life sucked out of her. And if that wasn't enough piling on, they put her in jeopardy and understandably she cracked under the pressure of a horrible night and started crying. This show should be cheesy fun, I always detest the mindgames and what toll they can take on some of the celebs.

[Wings]

I generally enjoyed last night's show, although my thoughts below are pretty much about everything except the dancing.  (Let me preface this by saying that I love both Olivia Newton-John and Leah Remini, but....)

At one point, fairly late in the show, I was beginning to think that the sub-theme for the night was "Julianne gets two votes" because Olivia voted identically to Julianne for every dance except either the last one or the second-to-last one.  Olivia seems so sweet, but it was really hard to figure out why in the world she was there.  

 

Olivia does seem nice, but she barely said anything substantive, so it's hard to say whether she was making sense or not.  

 

I like Leah, but last night wasn't her best night.  She's filled in for Erin at least once or twice before, so it seems like she's the #1 back--up.  I wouldn't take it as a sign that they're getting rid of Erin, however.  

 

I picked up on the overuse of "amazing" while it was going on (i.e., in the commentary after the first dance).  It was fun that she acknowledged it and made light out of it.  One thing I like about both Leah and Erin is that neither seems to take herself too seriously.

 

 

I agree with everything you said.  Leah's use of amazing hit me over the head on the first dance.  She could do a better job if she had more practice.  I just really like her.  I also have huge sympathy for her.  All of her Scientology "friends" dumped her when she left.  That is reprehensible. 

[penbrat]

Favorites of the night:   Andy (LOVED) Nick (CAI missed something it was really good), Tamar (MUCH better) and Bindi (Over scored  but iconic and fun) 

Least favorites of the night:  everyone else

 

Felt bad for:  Alexa - judges were harsh on her but the faces she was making about something Leah said about her husband were immature - I am over THE MARRIED COUPLE crap

 

Did not care for:  MARRIED HUSBAND's dance at all - not his fault -I am sure he danced it fine - I just found it in bad taste as I did the opening number - perhaps I am a bit of a prude but this is a family show and the strip tease stuff is getting old and for me, does not have a place on this show (but that is just me)

 

I thought Leah was fun in a tipsy kind of way and am so glad that Paula is out.  Her raunchy older woman shtick is getting tiresome. (However, she did better than I though she would at the beginning of the season)  She just is coming off a bit desperate (please like me, please like me) and Louis came off a bit arrogant this season.

[kayma]

Overall, I liked it. The judges were terrible. I felt bad for the few that were actually judged while everyone else were thrown 10s. I thought both Alexa and Alek did better jobs than they gave them credit for and didn't think anyone was a perfect score. I wish they'd revamp the judging a little for next season.

Bindi's rehearsal in the swamp was cute. I didn't care for Alexa's comment about Mark being more positive like Derek. I feel bad that Tamar isn't having a more positive experience. Alek is a great sport for owning the Elvis costume. Mark looked like Encino Man, though I'm actually liking the manbun. This was Allison's first dance that I really liked, and Andy seemed in his element, too.

I know Alek's not the best dancer and he can be a little stiff. But, he's one of the few with a personality I enjoy this season, so I hope he sticks around.

I think Nick had a difficult dance and committed to it. He just blends in for me. He doesn't stand out in either personality or ability. I hope he and Sharna do a troupe-less dance next week so he has to stand out.

I hope this was a turning point for Tamar. I know her personality/editing are divisive, but I like her and think she's capable of the most dancing.

[coaster]

Calling the 15 year old "stud." STOP IT. Others on the show went kafloooey (appropriately so IMO) when Willow got called "sexy" in the commentary last season. But the 15 year old boy? Yeah, sex him up..

[Primetimer]

The couples attempt to pay homage to famous dances through the years, without appearing to be pale imitations.

Read the story

[escape]

If they are going to have guest judges, I would rather see former DWTS pros and contestants. 

 

TPTB seem to be pushing hard for another Derek win.  Eh.

 

And what is the point of pursing someone like Paula Deen to be on the show - when she really had zero chance of winning.

[luvthepros]

West Coast All-Access just started and they've got Bindi's brother co-hosting with Dominic? STOP!!! Enough already. How about bringing on Andy's wife to co-host? Or Alek's grandma?  Grrrrrr!  Sorry folks! Just wigging out here.

Just wondering....are all the All Access camera feeds recorded so all the time zones can see the same feed as the eastern time zone when the show is live?

[luvthepros]

I am not Derek's biggest fan but he impressed. I like that he came out and said his skill set is not big lifts. I didn't mind seeing the effort. Kind of makes me appreciate Swayze that much more, too.

Derek has bulked up his arms over the years and he is looking very good. But.....Artem would have aced that lift with his eyes closed and both hands tied behind his back. It takes that kind of muscles to pull that lift off without physical signs of effort.

[CED9]

Calling the 15 year old "stud." STOP IT. Others on the show went kafloooey (appropriately so IMO) when Willow got called "sexy" in the commentary last season. But the 15 year old boy? Yeah, sex him up..

I honestly thought that was just a play on what they were dancing to. In the movie, Sandy says "Tell me about it, stud..."

[luvthepros]

Good appropriate dance for Bindi, Jennifer Gray played a much younger girl in the movie.  Bindi is a normal body weight but dancers are not, so I understand why Derrick had a difficult time with that lift.  

Agree. Jennifer Grey was very slender when Swayze hoisted her over his head. He certainly had it easier than Derek.

[Serendi]

Just wondering....are all the All Access camera feeds recorded so all the time zones can see the same feed as the eastern time zone when the show is live?

 

Yes. I watch the show (I'm Eastern time), then at 11 I watch All Access when it airs opposite the Pacific time airing. I try (sometimes I miss it) to switch to the Judges Table feed during dances; you can see how the judges are responding (sometimes big smiles, Bruno often stands up to see better, etc.), and when the dance moves between camera and table you get a different view of the dancing, which is cool. I occasionally visit the other feeds as well.

[LadyMustang65]

This turned out to be better than I expected.  It was kind of fun actually (at least I thought so anyway) to see the production numbers for these songs.   And I thought some of the pros did a really nice job of making them their own while still retaining the feel of the original.

 

Hayes and Emma - I love Grease, and this was a good try.  I thought Hayes did a decent job with it, but at times he dances very young.  He can't help it - he is young - but it kind of took away from the dance for me.  It was good but not great, but I love how he just goes for everything and isn't all "that's not cool, I can't do that."  I don't think he'll still be standing at the end, but he should be around a few more weeks still.  Four 8s seemed fair.

 

Andy and Allison - I really liked this one.  It may be my favorite piece of Allison choreography on this show.  It felt very much like it could have come from one of those old MGM musicals.  Really good job.  And I thought Andy did a really good job of dancing it as well.  He clearly learned a little bit last week that stuck with him.  I think all 10s is a bit much, though. 

 

Alexa and Mark - I'm not a Britney Spears fan by any means, so I'd never seen the dance they're talking about.  I thought Alexa did okay but it was a bit rough.  And what was on Mark's head?  <lol>  That was a weird hairstyle.  Anyway, I thought her scores were a bit low.  That had to hurt going from a perfect score last week to this; I feel bad for her, and I'm not sure she's being given enough credit.

 

Bindi and Derek - I actually didn't like this one that much.  I thought the idea was to put their own spin on it, and it felt like they mostly just copied the dance from the movie.  I saw where someone said that Derek said it was required to include the iconic moves, which is understandable, but I really couldn't tell what part was original.  It just felt like a total rehash.  Bindi did a good job with it, and Derek made a very good Patrick Swayze (although the lift was a tad bit shaky), but I don't know.  It just didn't really wow me.  And it didn't seem much like  a rumba.  If Andy was given a 40, then I guess it was appropriate for Bindi to get one.  But overall I wasn't thrilled with this.  It may be in part because they've gone to that well a few too many times on the show.  I don't know.  I was just 'meh' on this one.

 

Paula and Louis - It was nice to see Anna and Karina again!  This just really wasn't good, although I did appreciate Louis' choreography.  It had a very "Madonna" feel to it.  But Paula just doesn't really seem to move at all.  Scores were where they should have been.

 

Carlos and Witney -Again, it didn't feel at all like a rumba to me, but I thought he did a great job with this dance.  Kudos to him for dancing solo - well, with the other guys but no Witney to give any encouragement or direction - that must have been hard.  I really enjoyed this one.  I thought Witney did a great job of adapting the routine and fitting herself into it.  I'm surprised he didn't get a 40 for that.  He was at least as good as Andy and Bindi.  But at least he got a couple of 10s.  I would watch this one again.

 

Nick and Sharna - This was really good.  I liked Sharna's take on this dance.  It incorporated the iconic moves without feeling like she was recreating the whole dance, and the samba parts felt more like a samba than any of the rumbas did.  I thought Nick did a really good job with the dancing as well.  One of my favorites of the night.  Very good score for him. 

 

Alek and Lindsay - This was another really fun one.  I thought Alek did a good job with the dancing, and he made a pretty good Elvis.  It also seemed like he was really trying to do more with his face.  It was a bit uneven in parts, but overall a lot of fun and very enjoyable.  His score was definitely too low.  If they can give Hayes a 32, then give Alek at least that much if not a bit more.  Don't know why they're scoring him so low.

 

Tamar and Val - Another one I'm not familiar with, so I don't know if it was a recreation or a fresh take on it, but I liked this.  It felt very "Janet Jackson," and Tamar danced it really well.  Also because of the nature of the dance, there didn't need to be a 'connection' between Val and Tamar, and I didn't notice any "blank face" on her this week.  I thought Tamar looked really good out in front of the other dancers.  Very good job for her.  "Ignore your head" is good advice for a lot of us.  So glad she got a 40 for that.  It was definitely deserved with all the other perfect scores they were giving out.

 

Hate to say it, but I'm glad Paula is gone.  She's the last of the duds, and I never really warmed up to her.  I felt bad for Alexa - she took being in jeopardy really hard.

[Wings]

If they are going to have guest judges, I would rather see former DWTS pros and contestants. 

 

TPTB seem to be pushing hard for another Derek win.  Eh.

 

And what is the point of pursing someone like Paula Deen to be on the show - when she really had zero chance of winning.

 

 

 It would be dull if all had dance backgrounds.  I enjoy the obvious clunkers; they offer diversity. 

 

Derrick has won 2 Emmys and has been nominated every year since 2009 in choreography. 

 

I think he has a contract stating that he gets someone who can be a contender for the win and more money and he has earned that right.  I have no problem with it.  I enjoy watching his stellar choreography.  Some complain about Allison not being good.  Well, that is why Derrick is there, to be very good!   

 

Celebrities as guest judges give the show a higher status of sorts.  They can get big names where other shows may not be a draw for them.  They also have the budget to do so. 

 

I have no complaints about the show itself.  I watch for entertainment and it works for me. The scoring?  I don't care.  A good dancer always wins.  

[CED9]

Derek has bulked up his arms over the years and he is looking very good. But.....Artem would have aced that lift with his eyes closed and both hands tied behind his back. It takes that kind of muscles to pull that lift off without physical signs of effort.

The female's technique is half the battle, though. Bindi just has no core strength to speak of.

[escape]

I think he has a contract stating that he gets someone who can be a contender for the win and more money and he has earned that right.  I have no problem with it.  I enjoy watching his stellar choreography.  Some complain about Allison not being good.  Well, that is why Derrick is there, to be very good!   

So by insisting that he is partnered with someone who can win, Derek has it so the odds are stacked in his favor. 

 

I would be curious to see what his choreograph can do if he was stuck with someone like Kim Zolciak or Paula Deen.

Edited October 20, 2015 by escape

[superdeluxe]

TPTB seem to be pushing hard for another Derek win.  Eh.

 

Please.  Because he's won five times already, they don't want him to win again.

Edited October 20, 2015 by superdeluxe

[Wings]

So by insisting that he is partnered with someone who can win, Derek has it so the odds are stacked in his favor. 

 

I would be curious to see what his choreograph can do if he was stuck with someone like Kim Zolciak or Paula Deen.

 

That is my guess, only.  He would not be able to do anything more with them than anyone else. 

 

ETA.  I doubt he insisted on anything.  A  contract was negotiated.  He is very busy and TPTB wanted him to be on the show.  Given his schedule that would not happen unless there was a major draw for him to commit.  He often has other pros help him when his previous commitments take him away.  

Edited October 20, 2015 by wings707